306 . PHILOSOPHY OF ZOOLOGY. 



will often submit to the evil of continuing for a time in a 

 constrained position, with a piece of bread upon their nose, 

 until the signal for taking it be given, and exhibit unequi- 

 vocal symptoms of satisfaction at obtaining happiness at so 

 easy a rate. A goldfinch in confinement, will submit to 

 the evil of drawing up a small bucket by its chain, for the 

 sake of the enjoyment of a draught of the water which it 

 contains. Those who are conversant with the history of ani- 

 mals, must be acquainted with many other proofs of a simi- 

 lar kind. 



In the course of the preceding remarks on the phenomena 

 of Mind, we have frequently had occasion to take notice of the 

 force of HABIT, or the effects of custom, upon our functions. 

 When external circumstances continue, for any length of 

 time, to operate upon our feelings, in a particular manner, 

 our attention is directed towards them, in order to accom- 

 modate ourselves to their influence. In many cases, where 

 they are disagreeable at first, they afterwards become in- 

 offensive and ultimately objects of desire. This is equally 

 descriptive of our intellectual and active powers. The fa- 

 cility with which we yield to circumstances, differs greatly 

 in different individuals, and appears to depend upon con- 

 stitutional organization. Even in the same individual, ha- 

 bits are more easily acquired in youth than in old age. 

 Man acquires habits, or conforms himself to a variety of 

 circumstances, with greater facility than any of the inferior 

 animals. He lives in all climates ; subsists on all sorts of 

 food ; and performs all kinds of labour. Many of the 

 lower animals acquire habits with considerable facility; 

 and these we have inlisted into our service. They almost 

 exclusively belong to those which are united in groups, by 

 the social affection, as the ox, horse, and dog. Solitary 

 animals, as the cat, are reclaimed with greater difficulty, 

 and the education of which they are susceptible is much 



